AN MP has condemned Aldi for pulling out of a plan to develop a shopping precinct at Eston, near Middlesbrough.

Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, said residents were livid at the company's decision not to go ahead with a proposed shopping scheme on the site of a former Safeway store.

Shop-owners, who have endured vandalism, arson attacks and break-ins, have been waiting more than four years for the precinct to be redeveloped.

But earlier this week, residents and business owners were faced with the disappointing news that Aldi was pulling out.

Ms Baird said: "This has been a shameful course of conduct.

"Aldi has allowed the town centre to deteriorate for their own business advantage and then hung us out to dry when their convenience was no longer suited."

She said that she had written to Aldi a number of times in the past 18 months and had only once received a reply.

"They have made monkeys of the community, who were forced to tolerate unacceptable spoliation of their town for many years, on the understanding that, in the end, it would all come right," she said.

She said a new developer must by found for Eston's shopping precinct.

"I am hoping for an early public meeting to find out how the people who have suffered most from this are feeling about the future," she said.

"It is not impossible that the proposed Greater Eston Centre at Low Grange Farm could see a major supermarket that would be willing to open a smaller convenience branch in the town and there may be more local chains who can be interested in this development."

The German cut-price supermarket has a policy of not commenting to the media.